CardioFit Gets On Your Nerves To Save Your Heart

It looks like an MP3 player, but the CardioFit device isn’t meant for entertainment. This Israeli innovation from BioControl Medical, now being tested on 200 patients at 50 US medical centers, is an implantable electrical stimulation device designed to improve cardiac function in patients with congestive heart failure (HF).

With heart disease ranked as the world’s top killer, BioControl is looking at a potential market worth $4 billion. The device represents a new and unique source of hope for millions of HF patients.

To envision the way this is supposed to work, he suggests thinking of the sympathetic branch as a car’s gas pedal, and the parasympathetic branch as its brake pedal.

“If the ‘gas pedal’ is making the car go too fast, drugs can treat this — like lifting the foot from the pedal just the right amount,” Cohen tells ISRAEL21c. “But the ‘brake pedal’ cannot be treated, and that is what we do.”

News

Ben Gurion, Monash U Announce Partnership

March 3, 2015 | Ben Gurion University of the Negev and Monash University in Australia will partner to increase their impact in the areas of sustainability, social inclusion and entrepreneurship. The two universities have established The Monash Ben-Gurion Seed Fund, which was established to support joint research and education programs within these areas.

Teva Sells Pennsylvania Plant To G&W

March 3, 2015 | Teva Pharmaceutical Industries announced that it signed an agreement to sell its Sellersville, Pennsylvania facilities to G&W Laboratories. The sale is part of Teva’s plan to streamline operations by cutting down on manufacturing costs. The sale will include all of the company’s buildings, land and equipment on site, and according to the terms of the agreement G&W will continue to manufacture and supply supplies to Teva, according to its needs. According to the deal, Teva will also sell about 25 portfolio products to G&W, which will be manufactured and sold in the US under the G&W label. Teva Pharmaceutical Industries was founded in 1901 and is headed by CEO and President Erez Vigodman.

Infocomm Considers Investments In Israeli Companies

March 3, 2015 | Infocomm Investments, part of the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore, is planning to make its first direct investments in Israel high tech companies. The fund, worth about $200 million is backed by the government of Singapore, hopes to invest in Israel high tech solutions that will bring the country’s IT services and systems to the next level. Though specific companies weren’t outlined in the Reuters report, the fund will invest between $1-$5 million in Israeli companies. The fund is focusing on cyber security companies and financial tech companies, including Colu and Neema.

OHT-Mobile Releases Lingui Instant App Localization Solution

March 2, 2015 | One Hour Translation (OHT) Mobile has launched a new platform called Lingui, which works as an instant app localization solution. It allows users and businesses to quickly translate their applications into other languages, without needing to hire extra manpower or to create additional versions of the application. Lingui engages in automatic translation, professional-level translation and “crowdsourced” translation to create a version of the app in the selected language, updating the app in real time as the translations come in. The Lingui platform will be showcased by OHT-Mobile at the Mobile World Conference in Barcelona this week. One Hour Translation was founded in 2008 by Lior Libman, Yaron Kaufman, Oren Yagev and Ofer Shoshan.

Outbrain, Le Monde Sign Exclusivity Agreement

March 2, 2015 | The Israeli content recommendation company Outbrain announced that it has signed an exclusive multi-year agreement with the French publication company Le Monde. According to the agreement, Le Monde will utilize Outbrain’s content recommendation services, with Outbrain promising to meet content guidelines and to respect journalistic independence. Le Monde hopes that the deal with Outbrain will increase traction of its online content, thereby increasing Internet profits. Le Monde showed interest early-on in Outbrain’s services, and will now use the platform to promote content on eight of the publication conglomerate’s content outlets. Outbrain was founded in 2006 by Ori Lahov and Yaron Galai.

CyberArk To Issue $200M Secondary Offering On NASDAQ

March 2, 2015 | The Israeli company CyberArk Software submitted a draft prospectus with the US Securities & Exchange commission to issue a secondary offering worth $200 million on NASDAQ. The company, which develops software to protect organizational information, will not raise any new funds in the offering. The underwriters for the secondary offering include Goldman Sachs, Deutsche Bank, Barclays, Bank of America-Merrill Lynch, and William Blair, among others. CyberArk was founded in 1999 by Udi Mokady.

Zimperium Raises $12M In Series B

March 1, 2015 | The Israeli mobile security company Zimperium announced that it closed a $12 million Series B funding round. The round was led by the Ventures group at Telstra, the largest telecom and information services company in Australia. New investor TOYO Corporation in Japan, which is also the company’s distributor in the country, participated in the round, together with Sierra Ventures, Lazarus Israel Opportunities Fund and Samsung. With headquarters in San Francisco and offices in Tel Aviv, Zimperium was founded in 2011 by Zuk Avraham and CTO Elia Yehuda.

Kornit Digital Hopes To Raise $100M In NASDAQ IPO

March 1, 2015 | Kornit Digital, an Israeli company specializing in digital printing solutions, filed with the US Securities & Exchange Commission to raise up to $100 million in a NASDAQ IPO. The company hopes to raised the funds at a company valuation of $500 million, according to reports. Kornit Digital has not yet determined the number of sales that will be sold nor the price range for the shares. Barclay’s Capital and Citigroup Global Markets will act as joint underwriters for the offering. Kornit Digital was founded in 2003 by Avi Shterling.

Chiasma Pharma Raises $70M In Series E Funding

March 1, 2015 | The Israeli biopharmaceutical company Chiasma announced that it closed a $70 million Series E funding round. Rock Springs Capital and Sofinnova Ventures were new investors in the round, together with existing investors MPM Capital, F2 Capital, 7 Med Health Ventures, Abingworth and ARCH Venture Partners. Chiasma hopes to use the new funds to grow its sales and marketing capabilities, as well as to prepare for the commercial launch of its product for adults with acromegaly, a rare endocrine disease, among other things. Chiasma was founded in 2001 and is headquartered in Jerusalem and Newton, Massachusetts.

Parko Named In MasterCard ‘Mobile Top App Index’

February 26, 2015 | MasterCard announced the “Mobile Top App Index,” a European Index of mobile shopping apps, and one of the top 19 apps is Israeli. Out of the top apps selected by MasterCard in 2015, Israeli parking assistance app Parko was chosen as a winner. The application provides crowdsourced parking information to users, letting them know when a parking spot is free or is about to be vacated. The application also provides navigation services to the parking spot. Parko was founded in 2011 by Andrea Kruchkik Krell, Itai David and Tomer Neuner.

Magic Acquires 70 Percent Stake In Israeli Software Co.

February 26, 2015 | Magic Software Enterprises will acquire a 70 percent stake in an Israeli company that specializes in software professionalization services for mainframes and large-scale environments. The agreement has the possibility to be expanded from a 70 to a one hundred-percent stake. Details were not disclosed regarding the name of the company or the price of the acquisition. Magic hopes that the acquisition of the company will expand its AppBuilder software solution for large and complex infrastructures. Magic was founded in 1986 by David Assia and Yaki Dunietz.

Pereg Ventures Raises $25 For New Fund

February 26, 2015 | Pereg Ventures is raising money for an investment fund for Israeli and US startups. The fund has already raised $25 million and hopes to raise an additional $75 million by the end of the year. Pereg as already invested some of its existing funds from the round in two Israeli startups, Zollo, in which it invested $1 million, as well as one US startup, RealNext. Pereg Ventures is run by two Israeli managing partners, former Nielsen VP Itzhak Fisher and Ziv Ben-Barouch and was founded in 2012.

Apple CEO Tim Cook Meets With Rivlin, Peres

February 26, 2015 | The global CEO of Apple, Tim Cook, has officially arrived in Israel to inaugurate the company’s new offices in Herzliya Pituach. Cook met with current Israeli President Reuven Rivlin as well as former President Shimon Peres. Cook reiterated to both leaders the importance of Apple Israel employees’ contributions to the company overall.

Wonga Fires 325, Plans To Close Tel Aviv Office

February 26, 2015 | The UK-based provider of short-term credit to customers, Wonga, announced that it will be cutting 325 jobs in London, other locations. 325 jobs a third of Wonga’s workforce and employees in London, Dublin, Cape Town and Tel Aviv are likely to experience cuts. The company has plans to save about 25 million pounds (approx. $38.6 million) in costs over the next two years, and as part of the decision it will entirely close its Tel Aviv office this year and Dublin in 2016. Wonga was founded in 2007 by Errol Damelin and Jonty Hurwitz.

ironSource Raises Additional $20M

February 26, 2015 | The Israeli company ironSource announced that it raised an additional $20 million from ClalTech. The $20 million invested by Len Blavatnik’s ClalTech brings the total funding round for the company to $105 million, including the $85 million in investments the company received last month. ironSource, a digital delivery platform, raised the funds at a company value of $800 million and it is expected that the company will go for an initial public offering. ironSource has offices in Beijing, New York and San Francisco, and is headquartered in Tel Aviv. ironSource was founded in 2010 by Eyal Milrad, Roi Milrad, Arnon Harish, Itai Milrad, Tomer Bar Zeev, Tamir Carmi and Omer Kaplan.

Vectorious Medical Tech Raises $5M

February 25, 2015 | Vectorious Medical Technologies, a medical device company, announced that it raised $5 million in new funding. Investors in the funding round included RadBioMed incubator and private investors including Zohar Gilon, Gur Muntzer and US-based Global Cardiovascular Innovation Center (GCIC) of the Cleveland Clinic. The company will reportedly use the funds to continue the development of its medical products for the treatment of cardiovascular conditions, with hopes to begin the first human trials together with US and Israeli cardiologists. Vectorious Medical Technologies was founded in 2011 by CEO Oren Goldstein.

Yo! Releases New Features For Sharing Photos, Links

February 25, 2015 | Yo!, the messaging service that lets your friends send you ‘Yo’, has expanded its services to allow users to subscribe to photo and link feeds. The goal of the new feature is to reach readers of publication platforms that may not want to download the whole application. Yo will include alerts from publishers like BuzzFeed, the NBA, MTV and TechCrunch. Yo has also added other features, like such current bitcoin value estimates, ProductHunt features, Lonley Planet features, among others. Yo was founded in 2014 by Or Arbel and Moshe Hogeg.

Viber Faces Patent Infringements In Korea

February 25, 2015 | According to reports in the “Korea Herald,” Viber, the instant messaging application, may be facing patent infringements in Korea. The news source reports that a Korean court has ruled in favor of SK Telecom’s claim that Viber infringed its patent on reorganizing contact information on smartphones in the application, which was registered in 2006. SK Telecom sued Viber in November. Viber founder Talmon Marco reports to “Tech Crunch” that the company will soon release a longer statement addressing the allegations. If the court rules against Viber, the service could be banned in Korea.

IQP Partners With Major Japanese Companies

February 25, 2015 | The Internet of Things (IoT) startup IQP announced that it will partner with three large Japanese companies: Fujitsu, NEC Engineering and KDDI. IQP, a company that develops and executes IoT applications, is currently in the process of raising its first rounds of external funding, and is seeking out partnerships and new customers by expanding to the US. The company recently opened a branch in New York City, with additional plans to set up a branch in Silicon Valley. IQP was founded in 2011 by its CEO Guy Kaplinsky, launching its sales activities last year. IQP is headquartered in Tokyo and has R&D operations near Tel Aviv.

Knowmail Raises $1.2M In Seed Funding

February 25, 2015 | The SaaS company Knowmail announced that it raised $1.2 million in seed funding. The round was led by early-stage venture capital firms Plus Ventures, 2B Angels, After Dox and INE Ventures. The company plans to use the new funds to help accelerate its growth by developing its sales and development team. Knowmail’s tools help colleagues communicate and collaborate effectively. Knowmail was founded in 2014 by Oded Avital and Haim Senior.

Allot Acquires Optenet For Up To $38M

February 25, 2015 | The broadband solutions provider Allot Communications announced that it would acquire Optenet for up to $38 million. Optenet provides security as a service solutions (SECaaS). Allot will pay $6.5 million in cash, adding $5.5 million over a period of two years. Additional payments of up to $26 million are expected to be made according to future performance markers, one of which includes a $140 million revenue target in five years. Allot hopes that the acquisition will increase revenue for the company by several million dollars in 2015, as well as non-GAAP profits. Allot Communications was founded in 1996 by Michael Shurman and Yigal Jacoby.

Unilever Joins Chief Scientist Program

February 24, 2015 | Unilever, the British-Dutch consumer goods company, signed an agreement with Israel’s Office of the Chief Scientist to identify startups with technology that could be useful to the multinational company. Unilever is the 41st international company to sign on with the OCS program, and Chief Scientist Avi Hasson met with Unilever R&D chief David Blanchard to sign the agreement. The OCS program hopes to help Israeli startups with relevant technologies for partnered multinational companies to continue to receive funding, both from the OCS and from relevant multinational corporations.

Citi Bank Announces $100K FinTech Competitions

February 24, 2015 | The international bank Citi Bank is calling on Israeli developers to take part in a competition to build the most successful fin-tech (financial tech) application. The winner of the competition will be announced in Jerusalem in April and the winners of the prize will be awarded $100,000. In addition, they will receive exclusive access to existing Citi financial technologies, with the potential to become the provider of Citi Bank’s global banking technology. A similar competition will be held in the United States, Kenya, Britain, and Polin, along with Israel. The company will be holding demo days in each of the locations for the contestants.

Allenby Concept House To Establish Amsterdam Branch

February 24, 2015 | The Israeli advertising agency Allenby Concept House has plans to open a new branch in Amsterdam, according to a “Globes” report. The new branch will be a joint effort between Amsterdam ad agency Kwartvoorhalf and the owners of the app ‘I’M IN’ and will operate in Amsterdam under the company name Allenby Amsterdam. Allenby manages projects for companies like Skittles, Golf, SodaStream, G-Star and more. Founded in 2009, Allenby Concept House already has one branch outside of Israel in New York.

UberX Begins Ride-Sharing Services In Tel Aviv

February 23, 2015 | The popular black cab ordering service Uber has released its ride-sharing app UberX in Tel Aviv. The service allows users to catch rides with other drivers in the area, paying them a small free for gas. The convenient service has already gained popularity and much press in over 200 cities spread out over 50 countries, including Japan, Germany and Russia, to name a few. Uber began its regular services in Tel Aviv last year.

Namogoo Raises $5M

February 22, 2015 | According to a “Calcalist” report, the Israeli website security company Namogoo raised $5 million in a recent funding round. The round was led by Blumberg Capital, 83 North Venture Capital, Inimity VC, Adler-Chomsky and Founders Guild. Namogoo, which means ‘vanished’ in Hebrew, was founded in 2014 by CEO Chemi Katz and company COO Ohad Greenshpan. Namogoo hopes to minimize client-side injected malware on branded websites.

Check-Cap Raises $24M Together With IPO

February 22, 2015 | The Israeli creators of diagnostic capsule technology, Check-Cap announced the pricing for its initial public offering. The company raised $12 million at a company value of $92 million, after money, while also closing a private-placement round worth $12 million. The two totals bring funding in the company to $24 million in this round, and a total of $45 million since the company was founded. The private placement round was led by Chinese company Fosun Pharma together with previous investors like GE Healthcare and Pontifax, among others. Check-Cap develops X-Ray capsules for the diagnosis of intestinal cancers and was founded by Yoav Kimchy.

NYU-Technion Receive $9M Grant For Cancer Research

February 22, 2015 | NYU Langone Medical Center and the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology announced that they received a $9 million gift from Laura and Isaac Perlmutter to fund two, major joint cancer research endeavors. The institutions believe that there is potentially far-reaching impact for the research projects in question to advance cancer research. The first $3 million grant will finance six cancer-focused research projects conducted by researchers at NYU Langone and the Technion. The remaining $6 million will be used to establish a state-of-the-art research facility on Technion’s campus in Israel that will support these and other research projects– and which will have a principal focus on the emerging field of cancer metabolomics. NYU Langone is a world-renowned leader in the investigation and treatment of cancer. The Technion is one of Israel’s leading academic and research centers and a top-ranked science and technology global research university.

SolarEdge To Raise $125M In NASDAQ IPO

February 22, 2015 | The Israeli company SolarEdge filed a prospectus the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to raised $125 million in an initial public offering on NASDAQ. Though the company value of SolarEdge was not mentioned, but according to the amount the company is looking to raise, it can be assumed that the value of the company is large, in the $500 million range. The offering will be led by Goldman Sacs and Deutsche Bank. SolarEdge, a solar energy optimization company, was founded in 2006 by Guy Sella, CEO and Chairman Lior Handelsman, Yoav Galin, Meir Adest and Amir Fishelov.

Lenovo Recalls Superfish Software On Laptops

February 22, 2015 | The international computer manufacturer Lenovo is recalling Israeli image-identifying Superfish software on some of its latest laptops. According to Lenovo, the company will disable the pre-install laptops on relevant computers, which the company believes to be computers that were shipped between September and December of 2014. It is believed that Superfish’s image recognition technology, which, among other things, can be used to search images and provide related image advertising content, is causing unwanted pop-ups on Lenovo computers, a breach that could put personal user data at risk. Superfish was founded in 2006 by Michael Chertok and Adi Pinchas.

OurCrowd To Partner With Maryland/Israel Development Center

February 22, 2015 | The equity crowdfunding platform OurCrowd plans to extend its reach in the United States through a partnership with the Maryland/Israel Development Center (MIDC), which is a partner of the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development (DBED). OurCrowd plans to look at Maryland-based companies for investment opportunities, while MIDC plans to help OurCrowd expand its portfolio in the US. “We’re excited about the partnership with OurCrowd,” said MIDC Chairman Rob Frier. “It will give Maryland companies access to a potential new funding source and help Israeli companies enter the U.S. market further expanding the Maryland/Israel trade relationship.” OurCrowd was founded in 2012 by Jon Medved.

Confirmed: Check Point Acquires Hyperwise For ‘Tens Of Millions’

February 22, 2015 | Reports were confirmed that Check Point, the Israeli software company, will acquire the cybersecurity firm Hyperwise for “tens of millions of dollars.” Initial reports had suggested that Check Point, which is headed by CEO Gil Shwed, acquired Hyperwise for up to $80 million, however the exact amount of the deal could not be confirmed. The company stated that it did not believe that the acquisition would affect its financial results. Shlomo Kramer, who is one of the co-founders of Check Point together with Shwed, is an investor in Hyperwise.

Tel Aviv Marathon To Use Pic2Go Tagging Tech

February 22, 2015 | At this year’s Tel Aviv Samsung Marathon, which is set to be held at the end of the month, technology from the Israeli startup Pic2Go will be used during the sporting event. The company will operate its 2D barcordes on the marathon runner’s uniforms to make sharing photos on social media easier. Over 35,000 people are set to participate in the event, which is being held for the fourth year in a row, and Pic2Go’s patent-pending technology to automatically tag participants.

Tikal Networks To Raise $7.7M In AIM IPO

February 22, 2015 | The Israeli IP and call center designer, Tikal Networks hopes to raise £5 million (approx. $7.7 million) on London’s AIM stock exchange, according to reports. “The Independent” reports that the company hopes to raise £5 million at a company valuation of £16 million, after money. The offering is being handled by Grant Thornton. Tikal Networks’ founder, Doron Dovrat, was the first Israeli to float a company on London’s Alternative Investment Market (AIM), his then-venture called Dmatek, which was later sold to venture capitalists for £53 million in 2008. Tikal Networks was founded in 2004 and serves 45 major companies has well as 20,000 individuals, on average.

WeWork Opens Work Space In Herzliya

February 19, 2015 | WeWork, the popular shared work space, announced the official opening of its space in Herzliya. The building will house about 450 new WeWork members and includes ten meeting rooms, two kitchens, a large boardroom, enclosed office spaces, as open desk areas. The office, which just recently opened, has already reached full occupancy. WeWork was founded in 2010 by Adam Neumann and Miguel McKelvey, and is headed in Israel by Benjy Singer.

Uber Expands Series E Fund To $2.8B

February 19, 2015 | Uber, the popular car service application, announced that it raised a whopping $2.8 billion in Series E funding. The company raised $1.2 billion in December at a company valuation of $40 billion from undisclosed investors, by “New York Times” reports suggest that the company expanded their Series E round to raise a total of $2.8 billion. The company, which was founded in 2009 by Travis Kalanick and Garrett Camp, plans to use the funds to continue investing in expansion, especially to Asian regions. Uber opened an office in Tel Aviv and began its transportation service late last year.

Apple To Hire 49 New Employees For New Office

February 19, 2015 | The international technology giant Apple will open its largest R&D center outside of the US in the Israeli city of Herzliya Pituach next week, and as part of the opening will be hiring approximately 49 new employees. According to a “Globes” report, Apple Israel is hiring at its Herzliya and Haifa offices. The Herzliya office will span over 12,500 square meters and will house nearly 800 employees.

Nyotron Raises $10M In New Funding

February 19, 2015 | The information security company Nyotron Information Security announced that it received a $7 million investment from Meir Shamir, the owner of Mivtach-Shamir Food Industries. In addition, existing company investors have committed $3 million to the same funding round. Paranoid, Nyotron’s cybersecurity software is designed to protect against sophisticated cyber attacks at a national level. Nyotron was founded by Nir Gaist.

SkyGiraffe Raises $3M In Series A Funding

February 19, 2015 | The Israeli enterprise mobility developer SkyGiraffe announced that it closed a $3 million Series A funding round. The round was led by Trilogy Equity Partners together with 500 Startups. According to the company, the funding will be used to invest in increased sales and marketing, as well as to expand the company’s US operations and accelerate product development. Founded by CEO Boaz Hecht and VP of R&D Itay Braun in 2012, and is headquartered in Menlo Park, California, with a research and development center in Ramat Gan, Israel.

WERPO Partners With African Center For Energy Policy

February 19, 2015 | The Israeli company generating energy from waves in the ocean, WERPO, announced that it will partner with the African Center for Energy Policy in Ghana. As part of the collaboration, WERPO reports that it plans to generate 500MW of electricity for the people of Ghana through the power the sea. The company has similar joint ventures with countries in the Caribbean and China. WERPO, which stands for Wave Electricity Renewable Power Ocean, was founded in 2014 and is headed by CEO and Director Daniel Naimi.

Miratech Establishes Tel Aviv Office

February 19, 2015 | The IT services and outsourcing company Miratech announced that it will be opening an office in Tel Aviv. Miratech already has 13 offices in eight countries. According to the company, the Tel Aviv office will be headed by the company representative David Arie and will be utilized to provide an extended basis for Miratech’s growth and impact across the region. Mr. Arie commented: “Tel Aviv offers a strong platform for developing deeper relationships with current and prospective clients throughout the Middle East. By opening an office in Tel Aviv, we are making Miratech’s expertise more available to the EMEA region.”

February 18, 2015 | The Israeli Foreign Ministry, together with GAL Water Technologies, will establish a portable desalinization center in the Republic of the Marshall Islands. Representatives from GAL as well as Foreign Ministry representatives attended an inauguration event of the portable unit to be shipped to the Marshall Islands that took place in Hadera, Israel. In addition, the Government of Israel will provide water-related health support to the Marshall Islands to the tune of $150,000. The Marshall Islands are a chain of 13 located in the Pacific Ocean near the equator.

Despite Reports, Tim Cook Will Only Arrive In Israel Next Week

February 18, 2015 | Despite reports that Tim Cook would arrive in Israel for the inauguration of Apple’s office, the CEO did not arrive. The opening of the office will reportedly occur next week, when Cook will arrive to inaugurate the company’s largest research and development center outside of the United States. As part of his visit in Israel, Cook will meet with leading figures of the Israeli high tech community, as well as former Israeli president Shimon Peres. The Israeli R&D center will be opened in the city of Herzliya Pituach, about 20 minutes away from Tel Aviv.

Report: Vidmind Acquired For $2.4M By Teddy Sagi

February 18, 2015 | According to a “Calcalist” report, Teddy Sagi’s group is in talks to purchase the Israeli company Vidmind for $2.4 million. The CEO of the company, Danny Peled, will continue to lead the company. In addition, Sagi’s group has earmarked $5 million to continue developing Vidmind’s business, which focuses on an over-the-top video experience, offering up and open platform. The company will continue to employ up to thirty individuals. Vidmind was founded in 2011 by Dov Brand, Ofer Herman, Dror Kraus and Danny Peled.

N-trig Fires 40 Employees Following Microsoft Acquisition

February 18, 2015 | The Israeli company N-trig, which was recently acquired by Microsoft, announced that it will fire forty employees as part its negotiations with Microsoft. The majority of staff fired comes from the sales, marketing and support departments of the company. Of the employees fired, 15 were based at the company’s headquarters in Kfar Saba, while the remainder worked out of the company’s offices in different locations around the world. Since the company was founded in 1999, it raised a total of $160 million in funding.

IceCure Medical Raises $5.5M In New Funding

February 18, 2015 | IceCure Medical, a novel Israeli company whose minimally invasive technology treats tumors, announced that it raised NIS 21.2 million (approx. $5.5 million) from Epoch Partner Investments. IceCure applies cyroblation methods, or conditions of extreme cold, to small malignant and benign tumors. The IceSense3 has achieved US Food & Drug Administration and CE approval for its methods. IceCure Medical was founded in 2006 by Didier Toubia and is headed by CEO Hezi Himelfarb.

U Haifa And ECNU Launch Research Center In Shanghai

February 18, 2015 | The University of Haifa and East China Normal University (ECNU) in Shanghai have signed a memorandum of cooperation for the construction of the Shanghai-Haifa International Research Center. This will be the first center of its kind in Shanghai for Israeli and Chinese academia. The joint fields of research that will be examined at the center include neuroscience, mathematics, education technology, computing and data management, and environmental management. Both Chinese and Israeli researchers can submit proposals to Chinese research funds through the center. The ECNU was founded in 1951, and it was the first university in the People’s Republic of China to train schoolteachers.

Pocared Diagnostics Raises $15M

February 18, 2015 | The Israeli medical device company Pocared Diagnostics announced that it closed a $15 million financing round from undisclosed investors. Pocared specializes in the development of technology platforms to increase the implementation of evidence-based medicine for hospitals and practitioners. The company hopes to use the new funding to complete clincial trials and to increase its manufacturing abilities of its products. Pocared Diagnostics was founded in 2004 by Gal Ingber and Jonathan Gurfinkel.

Report: Check Point Acquires Hyperwise For $80M

February 18, 2015 | According to a “Calcalist” report, the Israeli technology company Check Point will acquire Hyperwise Security for up to $80 million. A young cybersecurity company, Hyperwise has raised about $2 million since it was founded in 2014. Hyperwise specializes in ATP protection.

Applicaster Raises $10.5M In Series B Funding

February 18, 2015 | Applicaster, an Israeli startup providing cross-screen TV apps, announced that it raised $10.5 million in Series B funding. The investment round was led by Pitango Venture Capital together with 83North Venture Capital, bringing the company’s total funding to $18.5 million. Since the company was founded in 2009, it has launched over 100 applications for 40 different companies including Univision, Fox International and more. The company plans to use the funds to establish offices in North America and in Europe. Jonathan Laor and Neer Friedman founded Applicaster in 2009.